NURTURING ENTREPRENEURIAL THINKING
If South Africa is to make a meaningful dent in the employment deficit, especially for young people, the answer lies in the small business sector and entrepreneurship.
Nurturing entrepreneurial thinking at an early age and preparing the 21st century learner for the world of work is at the heart of what we do at Junior Achievement South Africa. This is where innovation, creativity and solutions to some of our most pressing societal challenges come from.
We believe that our mission to develop self-sufficient and socially responsible future leaders aligns perfectly with the National Development Plan (NDP) vision to create 11 million new jobs by 2030 by investing in programmes that support disadvantaged young people to achieve financial independence and security.
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WHO WE ARE
As one of the country’s leading youth development organisations, JA South Africa equips South Africa’s youth with the knowledge and skills to start their own businesses, to succeed in the global job market, and to make sound financial decisions as adults.
OUR VISION
A world in which young South Africans have the skillset and mindset to build thriving communities
OUR MISSION
JA South Africa inspires and prepares young people to succeed in global economy
OUR PHILOSOPHY
Inspiring youth
OUR HISTORY
One of the innovations introduced by Dean Jake Jacobs of the Wits Business School was the Centre for Developing Business (CDB), with Steven Black at the helm. Black learnt of Junior Achievement (JA) in the USA, and the program was introduced to South Africa under the auspices of the CDB in 1979.
JA was instituted in the USA in 1919 with the aim of bringing together diverse groups of students in order to teach business and life skills. The newly formed Junior Achievement South Africa (JA South Africa) began to implement cutting-edge innovations to address the specific and unique needs of South African students.
In 1980, the original ‘Mini Enterprise program’ (Now known as Company Program) was re-designed to include an educational component, focusing on reflection of the skills learnt, as opposed to the skills alone. JA South Africa actively recruited students from schools around the country to participate in the MEP, facilitating contact between groups of children from all races who would otherwise not have had the opportunity to interact in a social and educational environment.
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